Software:Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft

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Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft
European PlayStation cover art
Developer(s)Take-Two Interactive
Publisher(s)
SeriesRavenloft
Platform(s)DOS, PlayStation
Release
  • PlayStation
    • NA: October 3, 1996[1]
    • PAL: November 1996
  • DOS
    • NA: January 7, 1997
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft is a 3D fighting game released for PC and PlayStation.

Plot

Iron & Blood is set in the Ravenloft campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

Gameplay

Start of a fight between Torgo and Sasha (PlayStation version)

Players choose a hero or villain to control.[2] The following table lists them close to the way they appear on the character selection screen:

Heroes Villains
  • Red Cloud the Abber Nomad shaman
  • Shinesta the elf princess
  • Ignatius Max the halfling thief
  • Xenobia the amazon
  • Darius the gladiator
  • Erland the elven archer
  • Luthor the paladin
  • Torgo the dwarf
  • Urgo the margoyle
  • Ardrus the skeleton warrior
  • Sasha the werewolf
  • Nym Pymplee the mad goblin
  • Balthazaar the headsman
  • Kaurik the warlord
  • Balok the black knight
  • Stellerex the wizard

Development

Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft was developed by Take-Two Interactive. Creator/producer Rick Hall stated, "There are a lot of big guns out there and we noticed everyone's games are martial arts-based, but there weren't any fantasy-based fighting games. I'm a big D&D fan, so I thought that would be fun."[3]

The game was originally unveiled as an exclusive for the 3DO M2 console under the title Ironblood.[4] However, Take-Two Interactive later announced that the game would first be released for the PlayStation, with versions for the M2 and PC to come later.[5] At this time they revealed that they had always intended the game to be a multiplatform release for Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and M2, and even started work on the PlayStation version first. They explained that they had only announced it as an M2 exclusive because at that time 3DO was the only one of the three console companies to have approved the game.[3] However, they also mentioned that while the M2 version ran at a resolution of 640×480, hardware limitations meant they could only get the PlayStation version to run at a resolution of 512×240.[5] The Sega Saturn version was officially announced,[6] but eventually cancelled as part of Acclaim's withdrawal of support for the Saturn.[7][8]

The M2 version was cancelled by the end of 1996.[9] Representatives from Take-Two and 3DO said that the two companies had mutually agreed to cancel the game.[10]

The animations for the fighters were created by motion capture filming several members of the Society for Creative Anachronism.[11]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings46% (PS)[15]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM5.75/10 (PS)[12]
GameSpot2.5/10 (PS)[13]
Next GenerationStarStar (PS)[14]

According to Take-Two, Iron & Blood sold above 150,000 units by the end of October 1996 and accounted for 32.0% of its revenue during that fiscal year,[16] the total of which was $12.5 million. The company's net income in that period was $349,074.[17]

Iron & Blood received mostly negative reviews. Covering the PlayStation version, Electronic Gaming Monthly's four-man review team praised the large lineup of fighters and said the ability to earn new magic abilities in fights is innovative, but heavily criticized the fighting engine, citing jerky controls and a lack of technique.[12] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot outright panned the game, complaining of jerky controls, poor animation, and camera angles which make it impossible for the player to consistently know which button to push to go in the desired direction.[13] A Next Generation critic instead praised the animation and graphical detail, but argued that the fighting lacks innovation. He summarized, "The combos are limited, the special moves are clichéd, and without any noticeable enhancements brought to the actual fighting, the action feels passé. The digitized speech and special effects are average, and the techno soundtrack seems laughably anachronistic against the medieval visuals."[14] GamePro remarked that "There's no strategy (we beat the game using a single button) ... Fighters get hit, then end up with their backs to an opponent; you hit a walled ring that can hurt you more than the enemy; and the moves are basic."[18]

According to GameSpy, "A bargain-bin game from the day it was released, Iron & Blood is best forgotten."[19]

Legacy

In October 2018, the game's rights were acquired by Canadian production company Liquid Media Group along with other titles originally owned by Acclaim Entertainment.[20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sony PlayStation Available Software sorted by Release Date @ www.vidgames.com". 1998-06-11. https://web.archive.org/web/19980611181118/http://www.vidgames.com/ps/software/release.html#1995. 
  2. ↑ "Iron and Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft Cheats, Codes, Cheat Codes for PlayStation (PSX)". http://www.cheatcc.com/psx/codes/iabwor.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "NG Alphas: Iron & Blood". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (22): 121. October 1996. 
  4. ↑ "ng alphas: Ironblood". Next Generation (Imagine Media): 86–7. October 1995. ISSN 1078-9693. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Behind the Screens". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (85): 77. August 1996. 
  6. ↑ "Protos: Iron & Blood". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (85): 82. August 1996. 
  7. ↑ "Sega and Bandai: A Merger Collapses". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (32): 16–17. August 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_32/page/n17. 
  8. ↑ "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Iron & Blood – Warriors of Ravenloft (Canceled)". http://allgame.com/game.php?id=7727. 
  9. ↑ Svensson, Christian (January 1997). "Ever Changing Ways". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (25): 26. 
  10. ↑ "M2 Jitters?". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (90): 21. January 1997. 
  11. ↑ "Behind the Screens". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (85): 76. August 1996. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Review Crew: Iron & Blood". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (88): 84. November 1996. https://retrocdn.net/images/8/89/EGM_US_088.pdf. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Gerstmann, Jeff (December 1, 1996). "Iron & Blood Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/iron-and-blood-review/1900-2547924/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (24): 256. December 1996. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_24/page/n257/mode/2up. 
  15. ↑ "Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft review score". https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197652-iron-and-blood/index.html. 
  16. ↑ Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Form 10-KSB (Report). Delaware. October 31, 1997. p. 5. https://www.nasdaq.com/markets/ipos/filing.ashx?filingid=696724. 
  17. ↑ Jebens, Harley (February 9, 1998). "Take 2's Mother Lode". GameSpot. http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/98_02/09_taketwovg/index.html. 
  18. ↑ Scary Larry (February 1997). "Quick Hits: Iron and Blood". GamePro (IDG) (101): 74. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_101_Volume_09_Number_02_1997-02_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n75/mode/2up. 
  19. ↑ Rausch, Allen (2004-08-18). "A History of D&D Video Games – Part IV". http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/540/540115p2.html. 
  20. ↑ Orselli, Brandon (2018-10-02). "Liquid Media Acquires Rights to 65 Classic Acclaim Entertainment IPs". nichegamer.com. https://nichegamer.com/2018/10/02/liquid-media-acquires-rights-to-65-classic-acclaim-entertainment-ips/. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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